


Kylo and Kittens

by Mitama



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Because they are pure and fluffy, Cats, F/M, Fluff, Force-Sensitive Reader, Just like Kylo, Politics, The First Order, You love cats
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-17 04:49:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13651776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mitama/pseuds/Mitama
Summary: You're trying to make the best of the political marriage. However, life away from home is hard. Your fiancé is doing his best to train you in the force, but it's definitely slow going.If only you had a cat, maybe that would make it better.





	1. Chapter 1

You rounded yet another corner, a book tucked firmly under your arm. If you held your head high and walked confidently, maybe no one would notice how out of place you felt. What didn't help was the fact that you had already tripped twice over your own pants, managed to run into no less than three glass doors, and had only realized five minutes into your little walk that your standard issue black shirt was buttoned incorrectly. ~~Why were the damn things so complicated~~

Just a few more days, you told yourself, and they would have clothes tailored that actually fit you. No doubt in those drab dark shades that seemed to be to official dress code here, but at least you wouldn't be swimming in them.

At last, you found what you were looking for. This hallway actually had a nice big window! And there was a bench beside it, perfect! Sure, it was one of those uncomfortable sleek metal things, but it was something. Finding places to sit down and relax in this place was a surprisingly daunting task.

You plopped down on the bench, relieved to be off your feet. The shoes weren't even the right size! You shook her head, sighing. Apparently, the First Order didn't get many human girls in your size as recruits.

You peered out the window, setting your book on the bench beside you. Sure, you'd come to read and to study, but no one would mind if you took a few minutes to enjoy the view. Outside, the stars seemed to stretch on forever. You could never get over how strikingly beautiful the cosmos were. Although you missed having firm planetary ground beneath your feet, you were beginning to see some of the advantages of living on a spaceship. There was no pesky atmosphere here to block the view of the sky.

Around one of those stars, your own planet was orbiting. If you'd paid more attention to your astronomy tutor, perhaps you could have identified which one was home. The little green planet with its lush jungles and towering cities... Also one of the First Order's most valuable political allies, hence your presence on the Finalizer.

You sighed deeply, memories of home still fresh in your mind. Just two days ago the menacing black fleet had landed outside your father's mansion. He'd been expecting them, you had not. These things were best arranged without your knowledge, he'd explained sympathetically. Less time to worry about it.

Well, you'd had plenty of time to worry as the Stormtroopers escorted you onto one of the ships. Plenty of time to huddle anxiously by the window as your house grew smaller, then your town, then your entire planet. More time still to pace back and forth in the cramped quarters, dreading the new life that awaited you.

Political marriages had always been your culture's custom, but one you had never really thought much about. It made sense in hindsight, that the high council leader's daughter should be united with a strong political ally. You didn't fault your father for it. In his position, you would've done the same thing.

Still, this new life was taking some getting used to. The Finalizer had stricter rules (and far less color) than you'd grown up with. Your position as a valuable political token placed you above most of those rules, but you figured it couldn't hurt to familiarize yourself with them. That's why you'd asked to borrow an employee manual from your fiancé. He had given you a funny look but complied nonetheless. At least he was making an effort to be agreeable, which, from what little you'd heard about him, was actually quite surprising.

Then he'd gone off to some meeting and you had wandered down the halls, seeking out a suitable place to read.

Ah, yes, reading. You should really get to that now, instead of yearning for home. No point in longing for the past. You sighed, settling into a semi-comfortable position and began to scan the manual. It was pretty dry.

A few minutes into your reading and you heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Trying to act as naturally as possible (which was admittedly difficult with your ill-fitting clothes and strange choice of literature), you peered over the pages of the manual.

Crap. It was the red-headed man. The important one. General... General Hux? You were allowed to wander the hallways, right? Hopefully? It wasn't like you knew the rules yet!

He paused in front of you, causing your heart to race. Were you in trouble? Ugh, your fiancé would be irritated if he found out you'd been yelled at on day three! You set the manual down politely in your lap, looking up at the man and offering him a gentle smile.

"You must be a new recruit." It was a simple statement, not unfriendly. You nodded quickly, trying to remind yourself to breathe. "Shouldn't you be in training?"

"Um," You swallowed. "No, sir. I'm on a bit of a break now." It wasn't entirely untrue... You didn't have any real obligations until the wedding next week.

General Hux nodded, a soft smile spreading across his lips. His hands were folded neatly behind his back, but he seemed to almost relax. "You're actually reading the employee handbook."

You nodded again. "Yes, sir. I thought it would be wise to familiarize myself with the rules."

General Hux was actually smiling now. You could hardly believe it. You weren't in trouble at all! And this very important person maybe liked you!

"In all my years in the First Order, I don't think I've ever seen someone actually read the handbook." He shook his head, chuckling. "I can't tell you how proud it makes me to see someone taking it so seriously. You're a woman after my own heart."

You found herself brightening up too. "Thank you, sir."

"Do you have any questions?" General Hux asked gently. "I know your first days on the Finalizer can be quite disorienting. I'm more than happy to assist someone who is eager to learn."

You were about to shake your head and thank him again when you realized that you did, in fact, have a question. Something the manual didn't seem to address

"I do, actually." You ducked her head, a bit embarrassed. "Is... is there a pet policy, by chance?"

"Pet policy?" General Hux repeated, frowning slightly. "I don't believe the First Order typically allows animals, but there are... certain exceptions." He glanced away at this, almost in embarrassment.

"Oh, alright." You nodded. Maybe you could be a 'certain exception'? "It's just... Well, this will sound quite silly, but I've always wanted a cat..."

"A cat?" General Hux was so startled by this that he let his perfect posture slouch slightly. A moment passed, and then you swore you saw a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh dear, I knew I liked you for a reason."

"Um..." You weren't quite sure how to take his answer.

"Why a cat, then?"

You found yourself grinning. "Back at my home planet, my neighbor had a pet cat. I would visit often to play with it. The cat was so intriguing, so different than any other pet. I mean, Porgs and Stohls and such mostly obey their masters and act more as decorations than companions. But this creature... this cat... Well, it strutted around the house with such dignity and grace... I loved to watch it, and when it came up and let me pet it, I felt as if I had been given a high honor. Then it tripped over its own paws and I suddenly realized that it was just an animal again..." You giggled at the memory of the fluffy black creature.

"I understand completely!" General Hux had adopted an almost conversational tone, his eyes shining. You were too caught up in your love of cats to notice.

"Tell you what," he continued, straitening his posture once again. "I'll speak to your supervising officer about the pet policy. I'm certain I can convince them to make an exception for you. Additionally, I happen to know a trading post on a nearby planet that sells cats. Gorgeous ginger ones, all with perfect breeding pedigree."

You clasped her hands together, barely able to contain your excitement. If you could have a cat as a companion, you wouldn't have to face these scary changes alone.

Alone. Oh, but you weren't alone, were you? Darn it! You would have to convince your roommate ~~future husband~~ to get a cat as well. Was he a cat person?

"Thank you General, truly," You said emphatically. "I just worry that my... 'supervising officer' won't be thrilled about the idea."

General Hux shook his head. "Nonsense. I outrank nearly everyone in the First Order. You'll have your cat. Just name your officer."

You swallowed the lump in your throat. Really, the only person you answered to was your fiancé. Unfortunately, General Hux probably answered to him too.

"...Kylo Ren."

General Hux blinked for a second, before chuckling and shaking his head. "Well, technically speaking he is above you. But I mean more directly. Is it Captian Phasma? Datoo? Unamo?"

You shook your head again. "I'm afraid it's just Kylo Ren. I... um... I'm not exactly a typical recruit." You bit your lip, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. General Hux was giving you a rather confused look. Sighing, you showed him her left hand and the simple silver band that marked your engagement.

"Oh," he mouthed, taken aback slightly. "You're the poor soul forced to marry him?"

You nodded, no longer making eye contact with General Hux. He probably hated you now or was afraid of you... So much for the cat.

He sighed, placing a hand on your shoulder. You twitched at the contact, startled. Your eyes found his, searching them for some sign of his intentions.

"Listen," he said softly, glancing over his shoulder. "Don't tell anyone this, because he'll never admit it, but I know for a fact that Kylo Ren likes cats."

Your eyes widened and you suppressed a gasp. "R-really??"

General Hux nodded. The mischievous spark was back in his eyes. "Oh yes. Because when he thinks I'm not looking, he'll stop by and play with mine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support! This is my first chapter fanfic and I'm so happy that others are enjoying it. <3

The one thing you missed most about living on a planet was the morning sunrises. The beautiful yellows and pinks would stain the sky as the massive orange star peeked up over the horizon. You loved to watch the world waking up, even if you usually avoided being up early enough to see it.

Aboard the Finalizer, the sky was always dark. Sure, the lights tried to simulate times of day, but they just weren't the same!

It was your fourth morning without a sunrise. You'd woken up early today, even before your fiancé, with a spark of determination in your eyes. You were already sick of the soggy eggs and burnt toast offered for breakfast in the community mess hall. To make matters even worse, there was never enough coffee to go around! So, today, you were going to make your _own_ breakfast.

Luckily, living with a high-ranking Knight of Ren meant you had access to his private kitchen.

Sure, all the appliances were the drab black, and the oven looked like it hadn't been touched in years. But yesterday you'd requested some basic cooking supplies and a recipe book, all in the name of making the morning a little better!

_"Excuse me, sir?"_

_The Stormtrooper turned around to face you, slightly started. He gave you an awkward salute, which you quickly replicated. This seemed to confuse the poor fellow even more._

_"Um, I'd like to make a request for some supplies to be brought to Kylo Ren's chambers? Specifically baking supplies..." You rocked on your feet, putting on the most innocent expression you could manage. "I'm not exactly sure who to contact for that..."_

_You could almost see his nervous stare through the blocky white helmet. ~~Seriously, who designed those things, they were so weird~~_

_"What's your ID number, miss?" He responded in a robotic tone. "Who authorized you to make requests on behalf of Master Kylo Ren?"_

_"Oh." You pulled up your hand to show off the engagement ring. Perhaps you should just walk around with your hand held in front of your face. It was like a magical ticket that let you get away with pretty much anything._

_"Oh my goodness, miss, I'm terribly sorry I didn't realize who you were!" You felt bad for causing the poor Stormtrooper to nearly have a heart attack. It was an unfortunate side effect of waving your ring in people's faces. "I'll contact the appropriate department and have the finest baking supplies and ingredients delivered right away."_

_He saluted awkwardly again before turning and practically running away. You shrugged and returned to your chambers. A few minutes later, several cartloads of pots, pans, flour, sugar, and all sorts of kitchen accessories were outside your door. You'd wasted no time in stocking the pantries, hoping dear Kylo wouldn't mind too much. It wasn't like he ever went into his kitchen!_

You silently thanked whoever had dug up all this stuff as you began thumbing through the recipe book. Most of the recipes were quite strange, but at last, you found what you were looking for:

Pancakes!

You hummed as you stirred the ingredients, mixing eggs and sugar together. There was a disturbing lack of blue milk on the Finalizer but you made it work. Flour sprinkled the countertops like snow. Batter splattered up, painting your standard issue pajamas with little cream flecks. 

Coming from a wealthy family, you had never actually needed to cook before. Come to think of it, you probably could have ordered a private chef to make breakfast instead. The strangely-dressed First Order minions seemed to bend over backward for you.

Nah, this was more fun! Right?

You loved the sound of the batter sizzling in the pan as you poured it. Sure, not all the pancakes were the same size (or perfectly round for that matter), but they smelled great! You couldn't help but grin when you found a bottle of syrup in the cabinet. This was going to be such a delicious breakfast.

You were so engrossed in your morning pancake adventure that you failed to notice the man standing in the doorway behind you, silently watching.

At last, he cleared his throat, causing you to nearly drop the warm plate in your hands. You spun around, feeling heat rise to your face. You'd tried your best to be polite and reserved in front the man you were to marry, unsure how he would react if you showed too much individuality. It was hard to stay dignified with a face covered in batter.

"Um... Good morning," you stuttered at last, managing a smile. He stared at you with deep brown eyes. There was something raw and handsome about Kylo Ren. Knowing that he rarely took off his helmet made seeing his face seem dangerous and exciting. You weren't sure if it was okay to feel this way towards a man you had just met. Sure, you would be married in a few short days, but the union was purely political. There was no way he looked at you with the same longing you had for him.

"What are you doing?" He asked simply, still frowning. "And where did all... this" he gestured around the kitchen, which had been completely empty a day ago, "come from?"

"Oh!" You squeaked, quickly setting the plate of pancakes down and clasping your hands nervously behind your back. "I'm making breakfast. I requested some kitchen supplies and ingredients yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't ask permission first..." You broke his gaze, bracing yourself for the angry remarks he was so well known for.

"I'm glad they brought the supplies promptly," Kylo said rather matter-of-factly, causing you to glance back up at him in confusion. "I expect my future wife to be treated like royalty. Anything you'd like, and I will make sure you have it."

You were almost embarrassed by the way he so causally claimed you. Now you were sure your face was bright red. Ah... He was staring at you again.

"I, um, I made plenty of pancakes. Would you like some?" You nodded your head towards the plate, stacked high with gooey breakfast goodness. _Keep calm_ you reminded yourself. _It's perfectly normal to eat breakfast with your fiancé._

At last Kylo looked away from you to stare at the pancakes. You watched his brows furrow ever so slightly. All of his expressions seemed like a variation of a dissatisfied frown. Confusion? Frown. Contemplation? Frown. Joy? Frown, probably.

"Very well." He said at last. "I'll try them."

"Have you ever had pancakes before?" You asked, reaching for the syrup bottle. You were surprised to see Kylo shake his head. They were a pretty common breakfast food on your home planet. The thought of introducing such an experienced and intelligent man to something new made your heart skip a beat.

"Let's sit at the table," You suggested, forcing yourself to be confident. You had every right to be here. Kylo wordlessly followed you into the little dining room, taking a seat in a tall black chair. His cape billowed around him as he sat down. You didn't understand why he felt the need to wear the silly thing all the time.

You plopped down next to him, gently placing the pancakes and syrup on the table. Passing Kylo a plate and fork, you managed a thin smile.

"What's that for?" Kylo asked, pointing to the syrup bottle with his fork.

"It goes on top!" You explained, a genuine smile lighting up your face. "Here, let me show you." You pulled the top pancake off the stack and put it on your plate before smothering it in syrup. You cut out a large piece and popped it into your mouth, sighing in satisfaction. First cooking attempt, success!

"Ah," he said, reaching for his own pancake. "Is this a common dish on your home planet?"

You nodded sheepishly, cutting out another bite. You tried to sit up straighter, worried that you might be acting too casually.

"... Thank you for sharing it with me." Kylo almost mumbled the phrase, and you were initially unsure if you'd heard him correctly. He seemed so unused to expressing gratitude of any sort. It was almost sweet, that he would set aside his pride to complement your cooking.

You nodded and continued to eat in silence. Kylo took small bites of his pancake at first but seemed to warm up to it fairly quickly. Before long, he'd helped himself to three more.

A few minutes passed between you before Kylo realized that you weren't really eating anymore. You were gently poking at the pancake with your fork, uncomfortable. He looked at you for a moment, searching for something to say. Then he gently set down his fork and cleared his throat again.

"(Y/n)." Kylo said, his voice firm but gentle.

Your breath hitched. You weren't sure he'd ever said your name before. You looked up at him sheepishly.

"(Y/n)," he repeated, more confidently once he had your attention, "I wish you weren't so nervous around me. You have nothing to be afraid of."

You glanced down immediately, embarrassed. "I... I'm sorry. I'm just not sure how to process this... engagement." You looked back up at him, smiling apologetically. "It's all very sudden, and we barely know each other..."

"Mmm." Kylo nodded in understanding. "I was displeased when I learned that I was to be the First Order's political token."

You couldn't help but assume that "displeased" was a bit of an understatement. There had probably been plenty of screaming and smashed equipment.

"My Jedi training taught me that forming relationships with others would make me weak," he continued, his tone serious, "But the dark side teaches that passion and love can make one strong. I have realized that there are many advantages in having a partner."

_A partner?_ Though you knew logically that Kylo probably saw this marriage as little more than a chance to become more powerful, you couldn't help but blush. And the way he held you in his intense gaze...

He leaned towards you slightly, not breaking eye contact. How badly you wanted to reach out, to grasp his hand or brush your fingers through his hair. It wasn't fair that he was so attractive.

"I want you to feel comfortable around me." His voice was deep and sensuous. A shiver ran from your neck to the base of your spine. "In time, I hope we will grow to trust each other. I want nothing more than to have someone stand by my side, even after the world has turned against us."

You almost melted into your chair. You tried unsuccessfully to calm your racing heart. "I..." you began hesitantly. He looked at you expectantly. "I want that too. Despite the fact that our marriage is rooted in politics, I want to trust and love my husband, just as he trusts and loves me." The last sentence was barely a whisper, so hesitant you were to be vulnerable with him.

Slowly, Kylo's deep frown faded. His expression softened, his lips tugged upward. It was a small smile, yes, but the excitement hidden behind it was intense. You couldn't help it. This time you did reach out, resting your hand over his clenched fist. You hadn't touched him before, not like this. The motion was electrifying.

If only you could capture these feelings, the intense heat in your chest, the tingles at the base of your neck, and remember them forever.

"Anything you need to feel more comfortable here," Kylo spoke again, his voice a husky whisper, "And I will see that you have it."

"Anything?" You muttered hesitantly, a sudden mischievous sparkle in your eyes.

Kylo nodded.

"Can we get a cat?"


End file.
